Inflatable, luminair shade



PFH 27, 1937 W. BRAUNSCHWEIG 2,078,707

INFIJATABLE, LUMINAIR SHADE Filed July 27, 1956 Patented Apr. i27, 1937UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention is an inflatable shade or luminair cover for use onconventional, electric light bulbs.

An object of the invention is to provide an attractive, cheap, uniqueand simple and readily applied, enveloping shade or cover for electriclight bulbs whereby to secure a highly ornamental, display oradvertising eiTect.

A further object is to provide an inflatable, light-transmitting shadein the form of a balloonlike sack provided with means for its effectiveand easy attachment directly to a conventional electric light bulb sothat this will be substantially enveloped and its light utilized torender the enclosing shade effective as a luminair.

More specifically an object is to provide a simple, translucent,thin-Walled rubber balloonlike sack with an internal pocket to bedistensively attached to a more or less complementary light bulb;preferably in place in its socket, though the device may be applied to adetached bulb, that is, before the bulb is applied to a socket.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forthin the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objectsand advantages as hereinafter developed, and Whose construction,combination and details of means, and method of making and manner ofoperation will be made manifest in the description of the herewithillustrated embodiment; it being understood that modifications,variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope,principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimedhereinbelow.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the deflated balloon shade.

Figure 2 is a top end plan of the device indicating the cylindricalshape of its mold form.

Figure 3 is a sectional, side elevation of the shade as applied to anelectric light bulb and somewhat inflated.

The lamp shade constituting this invention is embodied in a thin-walledrubber balloon-like element which may be manufactured by substantiallythe same, practical process used in the manufacture of toy balloons.That is by the dipping of a simple mold or core of desired shape into avat of molten rubber stock; the shell of adherent rubber being peeledolf later.

The element is here shown as having a main balloon forming bag portion 2With an extended inflating tube 3, which after the bag 2 has beeniniiated in the common manner of a toy balloon,

is tied or clamped closed to hold the low degree of air pressure whichexpands the bag 2.

The opposite end of the bag 2 is provided with an integral, upwardlyextending supplementary bag portion 4 having more or less the shape of agiven, conventional electric light bulb B, Fig. 3; the upper end of thebag 2 converging toward the neck of the bulb bag, which latter, prior toits application presents the large bulb end at its top.

The bag 2, while deiiated, is applied to the bulb B by rst turning thebag portion 4 outside in as in Fig. 3, thus forming an air-tight mouthring 5 with the wall of the bag 2 so that this may be inflated withoutloss of air pressure at the mouth into which the bulb is forced into thereversed pocket-forming sack portion 4; this being somewhat distended asthe bulb enters the sack 4.

The most convenient and quickest way to apply the shade to the bulb isto invert the sack 4 into the bag 2 and then press the mouth ring 5,formed by the turning of the sack 4, over the bulb B while this isfirmly supported in a fixture socket (not shown).

For the purpose of preventing the bag from dislodging from the bulbwhile the bag is being inated a suitable fastening string or wire girdle6 lying in suitable loops or eyes 1, provided around the neck portion ofthe bag at the mouth ring 5, is drawn tight and tied or twisted tofasten the girdle in place.

The balloon bag may then be inated.

The wall of the bag 2 may be imprinted with any decorative, advertisingor display media as desired, or otherwise provided with displayeffecting means, such as removable patterns, making it possible tore-use the shades for greatly different purposes as the events ordesired eiect may require.

The device forms an extremely attractive advertising novelty and ishighly useful for lawn or park illumination.

The work bulb used herein is intended to mean any form of vacuumizedelectric tube or sealed shell element, and any gas filled shell of anelectrically energized luminair.

What is claimed is:

l. A balloon-like inflatable shade having an interior supplemental sackof elastic material and being distensible to receive an electric lightbulb.

2. A shade as set forth in claim 1 and in which the shade is inflatableafter application of the said sack to the bulb.

3. A luminair shade including a balloon sack having a distensible mouthand a secondary, elastic sack joining the balloon sack around the saidmouth and distensibly receiving an electric light bulb to attach theballoon sack thereto.

4. A luminair shade as set forth in claim 3 and in which the balloonsack occupies an exterior position encompassing the applied secondarysack. 5. An elastic, inflatable balloon for forming a light transmittingshade about an electric light 10 bulb and having an integral sack fordistensible application to an electric light bulb', and means forsecuring the balloon in place on the bulb.

6. A shade as set forth in claim 5 and in which the sack is turnableoutside in for reception of the bulb.

7. A light shade as set forth in claim 5 and in which the sack occupiesa position inside of the balloon when in position on the bulb.

8. An inflatable, balloon-like luminair shade having an inner sackhaving a mouth integrally joining With the Wall of balloon shade forreception of an electric light bulb, and means for securing the balloonshade in encompassing posi- 10 tion about the bulb when inated.

FREDERICK W. BRAUNSCHWEIG.

